Tag Archives: Chad Campbell

In less than 24 hours, the House and Senate had introduced, discussed, and voted on their budget proposals – a move that has led some lawmakers to grouse about the lack of time to consider the important policy implications.

“Extremist” bills inspired by the tea party movement are taking the Legislature’s attention away from issues important to Arizonans, such as jobs, fixing schools and making government accountable, House Democratic leaders said Monday.

Give money to schools to install solar panels on their roofs. Eliminate extra paperwork for homeowners seeking to install panels on their roofs. Endorse a plan that encourages utilities to invest in the state’s renewable energy industry.

While legislative Republicans have repeatedly castigated the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission for sometimes operating outside of the public’s view, House Speaker Andy Tobin’s counterproposal was written out of anyone’s view.

If Republicans go along with House Speaker Andy Tobin’s plan to force a special election that would seek to change the state’s legislative and congressional maps, it will cost Arizona more than $8 million.

With Intel’s Chandler factory serving as a backdrop and an example of the kinds of high-tech manufacturing jobs he wants to bring back to the United States, President Barack Obama reprised much of his State of the Union address in Arizona during a speech today.

Standing before thousands of cheering supporters and Intel employees, Obama praised the microprocessor manufacturer as the type of company that will help create an “America built to last” – the title and theme of his State of the Union address Tuesday night.

It hasn’t been a banner past couple years for the Democrats. Faced with a Republican supermajority, their power at the Legislature has been limited.

Assessing this year’s session, House Minority Leader Chad Campbell has a similarly dim outlook. Democrats are still outnumbered two-to-one, and a looming election may mean lawmakers focus on more ideological issues. But there are some promising signs: new leadership in the House and Senate, plus some unexpected money for the state.